Taum Sauk, Missouri

Taum Sauk Mountain is located in the Saint Francois Mountains in Missouri, 2 hours south of St. Louis. Standing tall at a height of 1772 ft (540 m) above sea level, Taum Sauk is far from a towering peak; but it is one of the more beautiful areas to bag a peak. Speaking of peaks, there isn’t one here. The highest point in the state is at the end of a paved walking path just off of a parking lot, in the woods. The hardest part of getting here is the drive. The area is great for hiking however, and as we came from the west, our drive was delightful.

We arrived in December, so the only green to be seen were the pines, of which there are many. Taum Sauk Mountain State Park contains over 7,000 square acres of forest, and it is a great place to camp, hike, and enjoy nature. We will definitely return here to enjoy it.

There is no point high enough above the surrounding area for a grand view, like you find in larger mountain ranges, but the entire area is beautiful at ground level.

A short walk or drive from the peak of Taum Sauk is a tower, which you can climb and observe the surrounding area. The grate at the top was closed and locked when we came, so we went as high as we could on the stairs. It is not high enough for a grand view but it was fun nonetheless.